JAPANESE COMEDIAN KAZU KUSANO DEBUTS HER
SOLO DRAMEDY IN JUNE AT THE MAIN
Born into darkness, comedy is Kusano’s superpower in “Pretty Beast”
Japanese comedian Kazu Kusano makes her debut in Santa Clarita with her solo dramedy, Pretty Beast, taking place Saturday, June 10 at 8:00 p.m. at The MAIN (24266 Main Street) in Old Town Newhall.
Growing up with a schizophrenic mother and an alcoholic father in Japan, Kusano learned to use humor to heal her wounds and process her trauma. In school, she was frequently considered the “class clown,” an identity at odds with Japanese societal norms for women and girls. Despite these odds, comedy became more to Kusano than just a shield. It was her ticket to freedom.
In her solo show, Pretty Beast, Kusano revisits the past in order to reclaim her present as an in-demand, LA-based comic and storyteller. At times devastating, as well as devastatingly funny, Pretty Beast takes on family dysfunction, mental illness, societal sexism and what it means to discover your own superpowers while there’s still enough time to use them for good.
Pretty Beast was the winner of “Best of the Fest” at the Crazy Woke Asians Solo Fest, “Hottest Selling Show” at the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2019 and “Best of the Fest” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2022.
“Kazu Kusano is a consummate storyteller.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“Hilarious and devastating, Pretty Beast signals a bold and important new voice in comedy and theatre.” – The Georgia Straight
“Kusano’s energetically uproarious story is one of courage, persistence and self-determination.” – Thinking Theatre NYC
To learn more about Kazu Kusano and her solo dramedy, Pretty Beast, as well as to purchase tickets, please visit AtTheMain.org.
